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Kovacevic Leads FC London Women To Three Points Over Kingston Clippers

05/26/2016, 6:15pm EDT

By League1 Ontario staff

Photo: Martin Bazyl

FC London's Jade Kovacevic (13', 28', 37') kept up her red-hot early season form, leading the visitors to a 4-2 win over a determined Kingston Clippers side.

"I thought we played our game," said London manager, Jay Sandford. "We came out first half and put up three to their one, and playing our style of looking to always play out of the back."

"We were successful in getting Jade [Kovacevic] open a couple times and she was able to bury it, which was very good."

Melissa Harrison (Photo: Martin Bazyl)

Kovacevic declared her intentions early in the contest, hitting the target with a menacing shot inside the first five minutes, before tucking away her first of the night after getting on the end of a through ball and slotting low under Kingston's Megan Edwards.

Clippers were not about to take London's attacking threat without response, and did so in the most amazing of circumstances. Melissa Harrison (14') opened her account a minute after Kovacevic's opener, bending a ball into the top corner from an impossibly acute angle at the corner flag.

A back and forth affair, London created a scramble in the Kingston box moments later after a free kick bounded around off defenders. London attackers were desperate to get a toe on the ball, before Kingston finally cleared.

Kovacevic's rampant attack reared its head again mid-way through the half, with a brace within ten minutes making it three goals inside forty minutes and a 3-1 lead for London going into the break.

Photo: Martin Bazyl

London's press and possess game plan was evident again in the second half, as the southern Ontario club sought to keep their eastern hosts under pressure, and deprive the Clippers of opportunities to get back in the game.

Kingston would find a way though, this time through subsitute Rachel Radu's (67') industry to both reach and finish a nice cross into the box. 3-2 to the visitors, but Kingston had momentum to find the equalizer.

"The changes made by Kingston were very effective in that they turned it on and began to press," said Sandford. "Their second goal was impressive."

Photo: Martin Bazyl

London killed that momentum in the most emphatic of fashion, as Claire Monyard (84') hammered a strike into the top corner of the net with only minutes left to full-time.

"At the end there we were looking to put it away with the style that we use, and everyone was very happy," said Sanford.

With only two matches played, FC London women sit second in the standings at six points, three points behind Durham United FA in first. London also have a game in hand on Durham.

Jade Kovacevic has scored a brace and a hat-trick in her first two matches, but is still second in the scoring charts behind Durham's Laura Gossa - who sits on seven goals after a hat-trick and two braces.

Kingston are currently eighth in the table with one point from three matches, but have played three of the powerhouse teams in Woodbridge, Durham and London.

"This is a long time project for myself, Christian [Hoefler] and Paul [Quinnell] - the technical staff that we have in place here," said Kingston Clippers' technical director, Chris Eveleigh. "We've learnt from our experience with the men that some decisions will pay off in the long term."

"Some of the selections that were made today were again with the long-term, and not necessarily the game today, at the forefront of our minds."